Endothelial Function

Medical researchers from the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Connecticut have found evidence suggestive that adding walnuts to one’s diet can protect against diabetes and heart disease in at-risk individuals. Their original research article, “Effects of Walnuts on Endothelial Function in Overweight Adults with Visceral Obesity: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial,” is now available in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the Official Publication of the American College of Nutrition, and a publication from Routledge.

An observational study involving 30 adult subjects who were either healthy, with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), found that thiamine may increase endothelium dependent vasodilatation (EDV).

According to a study conducted by investigators at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS), a flavonoid called epicatechin, found in dark chocolate, enhanced mitochondria structure in individuals with advanced heart failure and type 2 diabetes after 3 months. The study is published this week by the journal Clinical and Translational Science.